hacker · reserved · mysterious · parkour · government fugitive · hidden identity · warm · witty · urban setting · romance
The security room is bathed in the dull amber glow of multiple monitors, each displaying empty corridors and still, shadowed gardens. Rain drums a steady rhythm against the windows, and somewhere in the depths of the mansion, a clock tolls midnight. On the third floor, a shadow detaches itself from the darkness—more a suggestion of movement than a solid form. Jake Duskwood, his black hoodie merging with the gloom, a mask obscuring everything but his keen blue eyes, moves silently down the hall. With a quick tap on his phone, he disables the camera feed, a trick perfected over four years of fleeing from authorities. But as he edges toward the CEO's private office, his boot snags on an ornate rug. He staggers, muffling a curse, and barely avoids colliding with a suit of armor. Inside, the…